By honoring the seasonal transitions, we learn to create a fluid, intuitive relationship with our bodies. With autumn’s arriving energy, this is a time for simplifying and slowing down our daily routines. Give yourself space to contemplate the cycle of the past season, to celebrate all that was sowed and cultivated, and to begin to draw the expansive outward energy to a quieter time for inward reflection and rejuvenation.

“The true transition takes place within.” 

 ATGW

All seasons have a profound effect on our lives and well-being. Changes are constant and inevitable. The practicing yogi knows the importance of living in harmony with these shifts and adjusting diet, activities, and yoga practices in order to welcome these transitions and learn how to flow through life’s changes with more grace. The end of summer and beginning of fall, more than any other yearly seasonal transition, require us to slow down and turn inwards so we can weather the shifts in temperature and energy without feeling run down or depleted. This is the perfect time to start integrating more meditation, pranayama, and restorative yoga practices to boost the immune system and prepare the body, mind and spirit for the colder and drier season to come.

“Ayurveda is the science of life and it has a very basic, simple kind of approach, which is that we are part of the universe and the universe is intelligent and the human body is part of the cosmic body, and the human mind is part of the cosmic mind, and the atom and the universe are exactly the same thing, but with different form, and the more we are in touch with this deeper reality, from where everything comes, the more we will be able to heal ourselves and at the same time heal our planet.”

Deepak Chopra

The sister science of yoga, namely Ayurveda, helps us understand these transitions better

For those of you new to this science Ayurveda (which in Sanskrit: आयुर्वेद, Āyurveda, means “life-knowledge”) is the most ancient and perhaps holistic system of medicine known to us. This system has its roots in India and is more than 5,000 years old.

In a nutshell, this system of medicine is based on the belief that health and wellness depend on a delicate balance between the mind, body, and spirit. Its main goal is preventative: promoting good health rather than fighting disease once the body is already sick and out of balance. Food and diet geared to each unique individual and scenario constitute the most crucial preventative method to keep the body balanced and healthy. If your mind, body, and spirit are in harmony with the universe, you have good health. When something disrupts this balance, you get sick.

Ayurveda believes every person is made up of five basic elements found in the universe: space, air, fire, water, and earth. These elements come together in the human body to form three life forces or energies called doshas. The three doshas are: Vata (space and air); Pitta (fire and water); and Kapha (water and earth). Everyone has a different balance of these three doshas., but one is usually stronger than the others. Each one controls a different body function. It’s believed that your chances of getting sick – and the health issues you develop – are linked to the balance of your doshas.

With this in mind, seasons have different energies and doshas, too. As we transition from late summer to fall, we move from a primarily Pitta season to a more dry/flaky/cold/windy Vata season dominated by the energy of ‘air’. A person with a balanced Vata will be healthy, creative, and exuberant. But when too much Vata accumulates in the body and mind (and the seasonal shift can add to this imbalance, especially if you already have air and space (vata) in your constitution) this is a time of year in which the imbalance may manifest as physical or emotional disorders; including insomnia, dry skin, arthritis, constipation, high blood pressure, anxiety, and depression. So, with this new awareness, how can we prepare our mind-body-spirit to welcome the transition without getting sick or feeling restless, agitated and depleted?

A FEW SIMPLE TIPS TO TRANSITION GRACEFULLY INTO FALL…

1. DIET

• Eat primarily seasonal foods like: apples, pears, cranberries, figs, pomegranates, arugula, broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, kale, squash, sweet potatoes.
• Prioritize foods that are warm, moist, sweet, and soft
• Choose cooked foods over raw ones. Use tubers, fruits, sweet grains, and seasonal vegetables. The healthiest fall foods -as our intuition suggests- are dark green and bright orange!
• Include healthy fats in your diet, such as ghee and sesame oil
• Drink warm beverages throughout the day such as herbal teas and water with lemon & fresh ginger to augment agni (digestive fire) and improve hydration
• In the morning, start your day with a glass of water – warm or cold.
• Use warming and grounding herbs and spices such as ginger, cardamom, basil, cinnamon, rosemary, and nutmeg

“Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.”

​Hippocrates

2. PRANAYAMA (breathing techniques)

• Lie on your back and cultivate ‘3-part breath pranayama’ also called Dirga pranayama. It is one of the most simple yet most calming and grounding breathing exercises you can do in this season to prevent restlessness and anxiety.
• Sit cross legged/relaxed and with a straight back and practice ‘Alternate Nostril breathing’ (Nadi Sodhana). This pranayama also has the ability to calm and steady the mind while relaxing and rooting the whole body.

I can’t stress enough the power that breathing techniques can have on our overall well-being. If you are new to pranayama, I suggest coming into to the studio for a yoga class or a workshop to introduce you to the various methods. It is always safest to learn these techniques with the guidance of an experienced teacher. I personally try to introduce my students to these techniques- even if only briefly- in every class.

3. ASANA (postures)

• This is a time of year to cultivate a slower, more grounding asana practice to stay very connected to the earth while conserving energy. It’s a great season to refine your practice by taking more Basics, Alignment, Slow Flow or Flow & Restore classes that balance the amount of moving you perform in a class with moments dedicated to stillness.
• Enjoy a physical activity that moves at a slow, smooth and steady pace.
• Try to move in a way that doesn’t deplete your energy this season while still purifying and cleansing the body.
• Focus on the breath, your feet, on what touches the ground. Root and cultivate connection through standing poses.

4. RESTORATIVE YOGA

• This is the perfect time of year to take weekly restorative classes. Be consistent and allow for deep relaxation and healing to occur in order to not feel agitated and scattered as you transition from late summer to fall. 
• Visualizations, yoga nidra, and deep conscious rest all have the ability to draw your sense inwards and replenish mind-body and soul while preparing you for the shift happening in the outside world. Restorative Yoga will also boost your immune system and prep your body for the cold and flu season. 
• Integrate eye bags, sand bags and other props to allow the body to feel weighted down and connected. 
• Add grounding earthy scents such as sandalwood, spruce, patchouli, and rosewood to your practice. 

5. MEDITATION

• After months spent outdoors running around in lightness, this is the season to return to a cozier practice or a weekly Sangha/meditation group to practice stability and mindfulness. To get started, feel free to email me for advice or find a meditation group near you. There are myriads of groups out there and I can’t stress enough how much easier it is to start this practice in a safe space and in a community of like-minded people who are there to support your process and challenges, and also offer guidance through dharma talks. 

For most it is hard to leave behind the lightness of being of those endless warm barefoot summer days. Still, as the world around us grows chilly and windy, and as the leaves transform into every color imaginable, may you stay grounded yet open to this fierce and vibrant spectacle. And may you deepen your practice, this season, to embrace with evermore confidence and joy each and every end and new beginning to come…